Wednesday, 27 July 2016

Warlord Games have just announced that pre-orders are open for their first Doctor Who figures

Last year we announced that Warlord Games have secured the licence to produce a miniatures game based on the BBC's enormously popular TV series, Doctor Who. Since then we've been tirelessly researching episodes both new and old, sculpting miniatures and working back and forth with the BBC to ensure the results are completely authentic.

The licence covers not just the latest series of Doctor Who but encompasses all of the Doctors, their companions and their foes, spanning more than fifty years - so look out for long scarves and jelly babies as well as sonic sunglasses!

We are pleased to present the first releases available for pre-order. The models are high quality pewter castings, officially approved by the BBC. Our forthcoming range will also include plastic Daleks, Cybermen and Unit troopers, as well as many more pewter figures.

Some of you may remember that I have some of Midlam Miniatures' spellcasters for Frostgrave purposes. Well, they've just launched their first Kickstarter - a class of wizards' apprentices sculpted by Martin Baker.

Wednesday, 13 July 2016

I wrote this post last week but didn't post it as I hadn't taken the photos.Since then I've been feeling quite rotten and, sad to say I can now post this without the need for any up-dates... I never did the photos properly, so you'll have to put up with these snaps,

First up were a pair each of Ood and Silence. I've had these for ages* and, quite frankly, they've been in this state for ages. They're (literally) soft on detail. I've never been satisfied with them or known how to base them, but under the New Dispensation I've decided to draw a line under them, give them a simple grass basing and Call Them Done.

Also coming in the category of 'Dr Who figures that come free with magazines and can be picked up by the bag-load in charity shops' are these Weeping Angels. These aren't quite the same vintage as the Ood - those one's are here. They don't come in the category of 'already started', but I knocked them off while having 'fun with dry-brushing'.

I'll based three with grass to match my existing Angels and three without so they fit in better with Frostgrave. Nicely, they're a different pose to the others (attacking rather than weeping).

Elsewhere on the web...

Readers of the last Dr Who Weds (back on 1 June!) will remember that - after I complained about the BLOODY DERLICKS! - I mentioned that the Dr Who FaceBook hadn't yet announced the Monster of the Month for June. It wasn't Daleks but - of course - was Davros.

July is on a better footing, as they've revealed that they're doing The Master (in all his incarnations). I feel a nice, evil glow coming over me...

Tuesday, 5 July 2016

OK, as you'll remember my first goal for the month is it get rid of some of the half-done terrain that's lying around.

The Viking(ish) buildings were 90% finished, but there was some snagging that needed doing. It's now done. As I wrote in the last Terrain Tuesday (back on 31 May!). This was a project that I enjoyed a lot. The test pieces having worked out, I'll be making some more buildings along the same line. Having watched a tv programme on Viking settlements in Iceland and Newfoundland, I also want to have a go at some turf houses. Watch this space...

Looking at them now, they don't seem to go together, but I assure you they came out of the same box!

Then there was this evil bugger, who I picked up in a charity shop...

And going back to stone heads, I've picked up a pack of Ristul's Extraordinary Market stone faces basing kit to add features to my terrain. I do like Ristul's bits and bobs - though most are a little too High Fantasy for me. You may, however, remember I have their cursed treasure.

Sunday, 3 July 2016

This isn't going to be an interesting post, but I need to put a marker down.

I'm not one for doing 'end of the quarter round-ups' or having hobby targets, but June was a disastrous month for me hobby-wise. A combination of health problems (the slightest being tennis elbow and up-coming root canal work) and work commitments (putting Diplomatist Books' back-catalogue onto a new platform) meant that I did absolutely nothing in that direction.

The only way out of such a slough is to set some targets. There are two main ones - clear the deck and make a start on the hirdmen.

Saturday, 2 July 2016

I'm a little late in marking this centenary, but on 27/28 June 1916 William Ollerenshaw of the 10th Battalion Lancashire Fusiliers was killed, aged 18, in the build-up to the Battle of the Somme. He was my Great Uncle.

The 10th Battalion was raised in Bury, Lancs, in September 1914 as part of Kichtchener's New Army. It disembarked at Boulonge on 15 July 1915 as part of the 52nd (Infantry) Brigade of the 17th (Northern) Division.

I know practically nothing of the circumstances of Wiilie's death. The Battalion War Diary (WO 95/2012/1 at The National Archives) only gives a few pages to June 1916. Her are the events around Willie's death, which took part during the build-up to the great offensive on 1 July 1916.

23rd
Take over 20th Brigade Front from 2nd Gordons of 8th Division
23rd-28th
Gas and smoke attacks and a practically continuous bombardment of the enemy by our artillery. At times for an hour intensive. Enemy replying by M.G. fire at night and a vigorous shelling of our trenches. Casualties during this period - Killed - Wounded - Missing.* That they were not greater due to the excellent trenches and 'dug-outs' and also the large extents of front held.
28th
The Battn relieved by 2nd Gordons, 2nd Boarders of 9th Division

*Frustratingly, these details were never filled in.

Citadel New Military Cemetery, Fricourt

William Ollerenshaw is buried at the Citadel New Military Cemetery at Fricourt. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission describes the cemetery

The cemetery is in the Northern part of a valley, running from Fricourt to the Somme, which was known in 1916 as "Happy Valley." It was begun by French troops and from August 1915, when the first Commonwealth burials were made, it was known as the Citadel Military Cemetery (Point 71). It was used until November 1916 and once in August 1918. The great majority of the burials were carried out from field ambulances before the Battles of the Somme. In the Autumn of 1916 the Citadel became a large camp for units withdrawn from the line.

He is also commemorated, along with 627 others, on the Stalybridge War Memorial which was unveiled in November 1921. The memorial takes the form of a low curving wall, flanking Trinity Street - making an approach to the bridge over the Tame. It's relatively difficult to take a photo of it, but the one below from this site catches it quite well.

The following members of 10th Bn. Lancashire Fusiliers died on 27 June 1916